You have always been there, I just didn't know
by ko-i-shi-te-'ru
Summary: It's been six years since her return from the Spirit World. Chihiro missed Haku so much, he seemed so far away. Little did she know, that he was closer than she had expected. Last chapter is in!
1. Default Chapter

You have always been there, I just didn't know... 

Chihiro ran out of their house one Monday morning to go to school. She walked out of the gate and called out a 'good-bye' to her parents. She started to walk down the sidewalk and met up with a few of her classmates in the corner. They were all chattering away but Chihiro kept quiet.

"Chihiro, are you okay?" her classmate, Momoka, asked. Chihiro looked at her blankly. "I'm fine. Please go on," she replied. Her classmates began talking all at once. Chihiro sighed deeply. She didn't want to tell anybody about what was bothering her. It was just that she had a dream...

She dreamed of the Spirit World. But it was empty. There was nobody in sight, not even the Faceless Ghost. She was running across it and the restaurants were all empty. It wasn't laden with the food for the Gods. The wind rustled beneath her feet and papers went through her parted legs. She went to the bridge and saw, finally, a living person. He wasn't facing her. His back was turned, but she recognized that familiar back.

"Haku..." she whispered. She reached for him. Her eyes filled with tears. She had missed him so much. She called to him again and this time he responded. He began to turn to her. "Chihiro...?" he said. But before he could look at her, he disappeared. Chihiro caught nothing but air and she began to cry as she knelt on the ground. The memory pierced her heart.

"Chihiro, you are so quiet. Are you sure there's nothing wrong?" Sakura asked.

Chihiro nodded and tried her best to smile. Her friends began talking about the upcoming dance. Chihiro joined along meekly. They passed by a woodsy path. It was full of trees and ferns and bushes. Chihiro stared at it. She remembered. It was the path to the Spirit World. It has been 6 years since she had gone through with her parents. For a fleeting moment, she wanted to run towards it and come back to see Haku. But she controlled herself. Haku promised they would see each other again. She would just have to wait.

They passed by an abandoned mansion. Nikken looked at it and turned to all of them. "They say that this mansion is haunted. Recently, people kept seeing the ghost of a kid. He was dressed like someone from Ancient China," she said.

Chihiro looked at the mansion. Her heart raced as she saw a figure in the window, which seemed to be watching them. It looked like...

But in a split second, he was gone. She blinked. She was seeing things again. Lately, her mind had been playing tricks on her. They reached the school and Chihiro started another miserable day.

That night, her mother prepared tempura and rice cakes for them. Her father bought some sushi and beef teriyaki. They ate in silence. Chihiro kept her head bent.

"Chihiro, is something wrong?" her father asked.

Chihiro looked up at him and shook her head. Suddenly, there was a knock on their door. "I'll get it," Chihiro said. She ran towards the door. She opened it and found no one. "Hello? Is anybody here?" she called out.

She couldn't find anyone. She was about to close the door when she noticed something beside her foot on the mat. She picked it up. It was a little gift-wrapped parcel. She looked at the card and it said, _To Chihiro_. She looked around again and closed the door.

"Who was it, Honey?" her mother asked.

"Nobody. Just someone playing pranks, I guess," Chihiro said, still staring at the parcel. She opened it and found a necklace. It was a beautiful silver chain but what attracted her most was the charm that dangled from it. It was a dragon. A white dragon with blue tufts of hair and it looked awfully familiar. Almost like...

"Chihiro! Come here and finish your dinner!"

Her thoughts were cut short and she pocketed the necklace. "Coming!" she said.

Chihiro and her friends walked to school together again the next day. Chihiro wore the necklace and her friends gushed over it. They said it was positively enchanting. Chihiro smiled. She was glad, for once. Even if she couldn't see Haku, she felt that when she wore the necklace, it was as if he was with her all the time.

They passed by the mansion again. Chihiro looked up, expecting to see a figure, but she wasn't able to see anything. "Chihiro!" she heard Sakura cry out.

Chihiro turned to her in surprise. "What?" she asked.

"Your Dragon Charm!" Nikken exclaimed. "It's glowing!"

Chihiro looked and saw that it was, indeed, glowing. And in broad daylight, too! It glowed a beautiful light blue. They kept walking, staring in awe at the glowing charm. Then, they reached the other street. "That's weird. It stopped," Chihiro said.

"Maybe it glows when it wants to," Momoka said.

"Yeah, maybe. Hey, Momoka, did someone already ask you to the dance?" Sakura asked. The two of them started talking all at once. Nikken tapped her shoulder. "Come on. Don't worry about it. It's probably battery-operated," she said. Then, she went and joined Momoka and Sakura in their talk. Chihiro stood on the street corner and held the dragon charm between her fingers. Then, she cast a look at the mansion.

"Chihiro! What are you waiting for? Come on! We're gonna be late!"

Chihiro ran towards her friends and turned in the corner after one last glance at the strange mansion.

"All right, class, take out your notebooks and do these simple trigonometric exercises," their Math teacher instructed.

Chihiro took her notebook and opened it. Then, she hastened a glance at the window. She took her pen and then dropped it. What did she just see?

She looked at the window again. Now, it was gone. But she could've sworn she saw the same figure she saw at the mansion standing in the middle of the game court.

At lunchtime, Chihiro and her friends ate lunch near the game court where the boys were busy playing soccer. Chihiro stood up. "I'm going to get some water there at the fountain," she said. Then, she ran towards the game court and walked towards the water fountain beside the wash area.

"Hey, Chihiro! Cool necklace!" Yoshikawa, a soccer player, called to her. Chihiro smiled at him. "Thanks!" she called back. Then, she glanced admiringly at her necklace and her eyes widened. It was glowing again!

She started to run to her friends to show them. "Look, guys, it's glowing again!" she cried.

"Chihiro, stop tricking us. It's not glowing," Nikken said.

"But it is, look—" Chihiro stopped. It wasn't glowing anymore. She frowned. She started to arrange her lunch pack.

"Hey, you haven't finished your food," Momoka said.

"Suddenly, I'm not hungry anymore. I'll meet you guys back at the classroom." Chihiro took her lunch pack and headed towards their building. She looked sorrowfully at her necklace. It was odd. It kept glowing unexpectedly. Maybe it _was_ just battery-operated and it was faulty. She passed by the faculty room and then—!

Chihiro's eyes widened. Her dragon charm started glowing again! She looked at the faculty room. Maybe...just maybe...the charm wasn't broken, that it glowed for a certain reason. She opened the door of the faculty room very slowly. It was empty. All the teachers have gone to lunch.

She entered the room and the dragon charm didn't stop glowing. Actually, it became more intense. _What does this mean?_ Chihiro asked herself. She kept walking across the faculty and her eyes grew even wider. Her Dragon Charm started floating. She stared at it in shock. It floated up to her eyes and sort of led her. She began to walk along with it and it led her beside a file cabinet. It hovered in front of the wall. Chihiro looked at the innocent-looking wall and doubted. Maybe the wall wasn't _just_ a wall. She reached out and her Dragon Charm released a more brilliant glow. Chihiro pressed her fingers on the wall.

She almost screamed out loud. _Her fingers went through the wall_! She looked at the wall again. She tried it once more. She closed her eyes and reached out her fingers. She started to follow with her head. Her face went through the wall and then her waist. She opened her eyes and she froze in shock. Half of her body was in the Spirit World!

She saw the familiar bridge. And then she pulled herself back to the real world. She panted, half-excited, half-scared. Her Dragon Charm was still glowing. She grasped it in her palm. This necklace detected portals that led to the Spirit World. But she never thought there would be _other_ portals!

She wondered about the necklace. Who could have given it to her? Then, she remembered. It glowed in the game court and the mansion! There were hidden portals there, too. She's sure of it!

Chihiro didn't even wait for her friends. As soon as the bell rang to signal the end of the classes, she rushed outside in a deep hurry. She wanted to make sure that she was right.

She went down to the game court and in an instant her dragon charm glowed. It led her and she followed. She found another portal in an oak tree. It led to the piggery, where the humans who were turned into pigs were kept. She suddenly became worried. If these portals that led to the Spirit World are so scattered about in the city, then all the people were in danger of getting trapped as she did once.

But the oak tree was a very favorite hang-out. How come the students who come there aren't transported into the Spirit World?

Chihiro thought about it and then it clicked. She took off the necklace and placed it on the ground. She touched the tree where she found the portal. Her hand didn't come through. It was perfectly solid! She wore the necklace again and her hand went through. The necklace wasn't _just_ a detector of the portals, but also a sort-of key that opened them. Perhaps the most open portal of all was the one where she and her parents went through. It wasn't even a portal. It was a path and paths are easier to go through than portals, which needs opening. But paths are harder to find. Chihiro looked at the necklace. It was so precious. Who could have given it to her?

She started to run again. There was no time to lose. She needed to go to the Haunted Mansion.

Chihiro ran like mad. She wanted to go to the mansion right away. If these portals were all around the city, then every chance possible is there for her to see Haku and be with him!

She turned on the corner towards the mansion and didn't look where she was going. She bumped into someone. It was Yoshikawa.

"Whoa, Chihiro, slow down. You might hurt yourself," he said.

Chihiro looked at him but she was in a hurry. "Thanks, Yoshikawa. Bye!" she said. She was rude, she knew, but she was so excited. She ran towards the mansion and she reached it. It was so big, she thought she'd have a hard time trying to find the portal if she wasn't in possession of the necklace. It was glowing again and Chihiro opened the broken gateway and went in.

The Dragon Charm led her into the mansion itself and not on its grounds. She opened the creaky front door. It was eerie inside. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. A frightening sensation went through her spine as she ascended the stairs where the charm was leading her.

She went from hallway to hallway, room to room, until finally, the Dragon Charm pointed to a particularly eerie room. She opened the door and went in. It was a large, fancy room. She was surprised to see that nothing from the large poster bed to the tiniest accessories on the dressing table was either stolen or moved. The place was untouched and the cobwebs and thick dust on them told how many years have passed since it was last used or cleaned. She looked out of the window and froze in surprise. She was standing in the same room where she saw the figure!

She paid attention to her Dragon Charm again. It pointed to the wall underneath a small painting of angels. She did the same thing as she did in the other portals. This one led in one of the gardens at Yu-Baba's place. It was the nearest one to Haku!

She suddenly decided to go through the portal. And she did. The next thing she knew, she was standing on the grounds at Spirit World. She looked around. She had missed it, especially the companions she once had. The wind brushed her hair. It felt so good. Her Dragon Charm was still glowing and pointing to the portal. Chihiro touched it and her hand went through, next she stepped in and she was once again inside the mansion. This was great! Anytime she wanted she could go to the Spirit World and come back in a flash.

She decided to go back home. For the first time since she left the Spirit World and Haku, she was truly delighted.

For the rest of the week, Chihiro used the different portals to go to the Spirit World. Secretly, she looked for Haku and hid out of sight. She didn't want to be seen without Haku. But she couldn't find him!

One Saturday morning, her mother asked her to go to the grocery store and buy some things for their lunch and dinner. Chihiro accordingly went. She found the grocery store and went in. Instantly, her Dragon Charm glowed. Chihiro stared at it with wide eyes. She couldn't believe her eyes and she kept asking herself, _There's a portal here_?

She decided to ignore it than look for it. She did her grocery shopping. After picking every item on the list her mother gave her, she went to the counter.

"Well, well, well," the counter boy said. "If it isn't Chihiro!"

Chihiro looked up. "_Yoshikawa_?" she cried in disbelief. There he was, behind the counter, wearing an employee's uniform and smiling at her.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Yoshikawa said as he took the prices of the things she bought.

"Me? _I_ surely didn't expect to see _you_!"

"I know!" Yoshikawa said, while laughing. "It's my part-time job. I'm helping my grandparents to pay for my tuition fee."

Chihiro smiled. "Really? That's good of you," she said.

"Nah. It's the least I can do."

"I remember in first year, we were classmates and I asked you where your parents are and you just shrugged," Chihiro said.

"Yeah, I remember that, too. And now we're graduating. Funny how time flies, huh?"

"Yeah, funny," Chihiro said. "Well, thanks for ringing these up. Here's my pay and that's exact. I'm off. Bye!"

Yoshikawa waved at her and Chihiro left the grocery store.

After lunch that day, Chihiro went outside and started to run for the mansion. It was the nearest one to her house and the nearest one to Haku. She reached the gate and saw that it was open. She looked at the mansion. Why was the gate open?

She went in and felt the place for any kind of activity going on. She didn't sense any. She went in. As soon as she got in, she heard an unmistakable clutter of something falling on the second floor. She quietly rushed upstairs.

She reached the hallway and listened for the noise again. She heard footsteps and she began to walk across the hallway, listening hard to find out which room the intruder was. And then, she heard him. He was in the room where the portal was! Chihiro's heart raced. She saw a long piece of wood lying on the hallway's floor. She picked it up and got ready to knock out the intruder. She opened the door cautiously and tiptoed in. The intruder wasn't looking at her, he had his back turned. Chihiro walked nearer and when she was near enough, she got ready to hit. She raised the piece of wood and brought it thundering down the intruder's head and knocked him out.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Chihiro cried as the intruder started to stir. She held his hand and looked worriedly at him. "I'm glad you're awake!" she said.

"Wha—what—" the intruder mumbled.

"I'm really sorry!" Chihiro cried and she pressed her cheek against the intruder's hand. The intruder sat up with a start. "Chihiro!" he said. It was Yoshikawa.

"I didn't mean to hit you. I thought you were stealing something, I didn't know it was you—honest! Please forgive me!"

"Chihiro, I'm all right. Stop crying." Yoshikawa pressed a finger against Chihiro's cheek and wiped away her tears. Chihiro looked at him and then her eyes welled-up with more tears. Yoshikawa had a hard time trying to comfort her.

But after a few minutes, Chihiro was quite calm again. She looked at Yoshikawa. "By the way, what were you doing here?" she asked.

"I should probably ask you the same question," Yoshikawa commented.

"I was just exploring it. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Well, I was just exploring, too." They were silent for a few minutes. Then, Chihiro noticed Yoshikawa smile. "That's really a great necklace. Does it glow that often?" he asked.

Chihiro looked at her necklace. She had forgotten that she was in a place where there was a portal. "Oh...uh...yeah. It's battery-operated," she said.

"How do you turn it off?"

"What? Uh...well...actually, it's like this...uh..."

"Is it solar-powered?"

"Yes! It is!" _Whew_! Chihiro sighed with relief. She didn't know how to turn it off because it _wasn't_ battery-operated! And she can't tell Yoshikawa. For a long time, they didn't speak to each other. It was weird. Chihiro never expected Yoshikawa, of all people, to be in the mansion. But, lately, he keeps turning up, unlike before because then she hardly noticed him.

She remembered in first year, he was a shy boy but then his confidence started to build up especially when he was discovered to be very good in soccer and most sports. But he never let it go to his head. Chihiro remembered, too, the time when he had asked her to dance with him during the acquaintance party.

"What are you thinking about, Chihiro?" Yoshikawa asked, cutting her thoughts.

"Oh, nothing. It's just—" Chihiro stopped. She looked at Yoshikawa and noticed that a part of his shirt was glowing. It was light blue, like the glow of Chihiro's necklace. "What's that?" she asked.

Yoshikawa took one look at his shirt and covered it quickly. "N-nothing," he stammered. He started to get up. But Chihiro's hand was quick. She grabbed it and out it came. It was a Dragon Charm necklace just like hers!

Her eyes wide with disbelief, Chihiro stood up and stared at the necklace, then at Yoshikawa. "You—you're—" she started but she couldn't find the words. She was in too much shock.

"Chihiro, let me explain—"

"Explain what?" Chihiro shouted.

"Chihiro, it's me," Yoshikawa said with a smile.

"No...it can't be! It can't!" With that, Chihiro ran through the portal, trying hard to escape from Yoshikawa—or whoever he was! But he followed through.

"Stay away!" Chihiro cried. They were in the garden at Yu-Baba's bathhouse. Yoshikawa looked at her with pleading eyes. "Don't be afraid, it's me," he said.

"Who? Who _are_ you?" Chihiro cried.

Then, in front of her very eyes, Yoshikawa changed his appearance and he became...

"It's me," he repeated.

Chihiro couldn't quite believe her eyes. "H-Haku?" she asked cautiously. He nodded and smiled. He reached out a hand to her. Chihiro's eyes filled with tears as she reached out to take his hand.

Their hands met and Haku drew her nearer. Chihiro looked into his eyes and she felt her tears starting to fall. She remembered the time when they were falling from the sky and holding hands, their faces close to each other. And it was the same. She felt Haku's forehead against hers and she closed her eyes. "It's you," she whispered. "But how?"

Haku pulled away from her and smiled. "It's a long story," he said.

"We've got plenty of time and I don't want to leave!" Chihiro said. Haku asked her to sit down and he sat beside her. He started.

"Ever since you left and came back to your world, I've missed you so much that it became unbearable. Then, I got the idea to pretend to be a student in your school so that I can watch over you and see you. Remember in first year, I was always late? Because it was hard to go through the old path, it consumed much time. I thought of plans to make things easier. I got the idea from a few files in Yu-Baba's room. It was then I discovered about the portals.

"I had a hard time on learning how to create a portal that led from the Spirit World to the real world. And I had to keep others from finding them out. So I thought to make a key that would detect the portals and open them. It wasn't easy to perfect the portals. Once I was transported to the South Atlantic. The only time I was sure it'd be safe for you to use was the day I gave you the key."

"So, all along that house that you said where you lived wasn't your house?"

"It was. I was able to create grandparents with my powers. And then, I created a portal in the grocery store where I applied for work so that I'll always get there on time."

"How many keys did you make?" Chihiro asked.

"Two. It's just for the both of us. You see, it's not just a key..." Haku took both of Chihiro's hands in his and looked her straight in the eyes. "It's a connection between two people. When you wear this, you'll be able to be with me even if I'm not there and you'll be able to talk to me. Listen..."

Haku closed his eyes. Chihiro didn't know what he was going to do but then, she heard his voice inside her head. _Chihiro...I love you..._

Chihiro blushed. Haku was talking inside her head. She closed her eyes, too and replied. _I love you, too_.

They just sat there, talking in their minds, holding each other's hands.

_ Chihiro, it's so good to finally be with you..._

_ Yes...we're together at last..._

_ Can you forgive me for pretending and lying?_

_ What's there to forgive? You haven't done anything wrong..._

_ Yes, I did. I didn't tell you that it was me all along..._

_ Ssshh... let's just say that you have always been there, I just didn't know._


	2. Part two

**You have always been there, I just didn't know (part 2)**

Chihiro surveyed herself in front of the mirror. She did one turn and giggled to herself. She straightened the wrinkles on her uniform and nodded, apparently satisfied with the way she looked. She grabbed her bag and ran downstairs towards the dining room. She pulled up a chair and sat down. Her mother laid down her meal on the table in front of her. "Good morning!" Chihiro greeted.

Her mother smiled. "Good morning!" she returned, giving Chihiro a kiss on the cheek.

"Where's Dad?" Chihiro asked, looking at her father's empty seat.

"He had to go to work earlier than usual today. I think it's a business meeting with some client. Well, eat up or you'll be late for school."

Chihiro nodded.

After eating, she kissed her mother goodbye and ran out of the door, bag in hand.

"Good morning!" Chihiro greeted her friends as she entered the classroom.

"Good morning!" Momoka greeted back while the others nodded. Chihiro sat down by her desk. She took off her bag and began to arrange her things. Nikken, Sakura and Momoka gathered around her. They were all smiling mischievously.

"What?" Chihiro asked.

They all shook their head, trying to look innocent and Chihiro's suspicion grew inside her. "All right, what's up?" she asked again.

It was Nikken who spoke first. "Well, we've been hearing things—about you," she said between giggling fits.

Chihiro frowned. "What things?" she asked.

"Um…remember the upcoming costume party this Friday?" Sakura asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Ye-e-s," Chihiro said slowly. _Something's up_, she thought. _I just wish I knew what! _She looked at each of them, trying to figure out what they were all giggling about, but she just couldn't get it.

"Well…who are you going with?" Momoka asked.

Chihiro blushed. She should've known! Now she was in for it!

"Well, I'm going with Ha—um, I mean—Y-Yoshikawa," she replied.

"AHA!" her three friends chorused, pointing triumphant fingers at her. Chihiro blushed even harder. Momoka laughed sinisterly. "I _knew_ it!" she exclaimed. "Lately, you and Yoshikawa have been pretty close! We've been seeing you together for the past weeks!"

Chihiro couldn't believe it as the truth struck her. "You—you've—you've been _spying_ on me?" she cried out.

Her three friends laughed altogether and Chihiro fell back on her chair. She hung her head as her blushing became more intense. "Well, we were just—I mean—it's not like—um—well—it's just—I—he—"

"Oh, you don't need to get shy about it! We think it's great!" Sakura said.

"You've made a pretty good match," Momoka agreed.

"You two make a cute couple," Nikken gushed.

The three of them sighed. "Chihiro and Yoshikawa forever!" they chorused.

Momoka looked at Chihiro and saw that she was hiding under the table. The three of them crouched down to her. "Chihiro?" Nikken asked.

Chihiro covered her face in embarrassment. "Please don't say it out loud!" she said. Momoka, Nikken and Sakura looked behind and saw that all their classmates were looking at them. They smiled sheepishly and took Chihiro out of the classroom.

At lunch, the three of them sat on their usual place near the game court. As usual, the boys were playing soccer. One of them, of course, was Haku, disguised as a student under the name Yoshikawa. But only Chihiro was aware of it.

Haku threw a glance at Chihiro and her friends as he whizzed across the game court to score a goal. He noticed Chihiro's head was bent and she looked worked-up while her friends were giggling about something. He delivered a goal and as he wiped the sweat on his forehead, he closed his eyes to concentrate. The dragon charm on his necklace glowed bright blue.

_Hey, what's wrong?_

Chihiro's eyes widened and she looked up. She saw Haku waving at her. He was using the charm to speak to her. She was used to it now, they've been communicating that way for quite a while. She hung her head again as she nibbled on a rice cake.

_Nothing. It's just that…I heard everybody's been talking about us_.

Haku frowned as a teammate passed the ball to him. He passed the ball to another.

_What's wrong with that?_

Chihiro bit her lower lip. _Well…it's—I mean—aren't you embarrassed?_

She heard Haku laugh inside her head. At the sound of his laughter, Chihiro felt her heart lighten.

_Why would I? I don't care about them. It's you I care about. Look, just don't mind it. And don't worry about your friends. They're just teasing you._

Chihiro smiled and looked at Haku but he was busy driving the ball towards the goal. _Thank you. Now concentrate on your game, we're going back to class_.

_All right. Take care! See you later!_

_See you later!_

And with that, the connection was broken.

Yu-Baba exhaled a cloud of smoke as she studied a few files. She weighed the income for the day and groaned. It was the same as yesterday. She massaged her temples and sighed in frustration.

"Haku!" she cried out. "Haku!"

Her door opened and a figure went in. "Yes, Yu-Baba?"

"Why isn't there any change in today's profit?" Yu-Baba demanded. "I specifically ordered you to supervise it!"

Haku gave a bow. "I'm sorry," he said. "But the day's not done yet. A lot of customers might come later."

Yu-Baba glanced at the morning sky and shuddered. "Well, you're right. Business _is_ booming at night." She sighed again. "This is getting tiresome. Get me something warm to drink…and some newts!"

Haku gave another bow to retreat. "Yes, Yu-Baba," he said.

As he turned to go, Yu-Baba pointed a finger at him and attacked him with her magic. Haku dropped on the floor, limp and knocked-out. Then, after a few moments, he disappeared into thin air.

Yu-Baba's fists clenched and she bared her teeth. "I _knew_ it!" she exclaimed. "He's been acting strange for quite a while now."

She strode to the window and looked out. "Where _are_ you?" she asked herself. As she pondered the question in her mind, a black dot appeared in the sky, growing nearer towards her. She smiled.

A large bird with a man's head landed beside her. "Well, my pet," Yu-Baba said. "What news have you got for me?"

Her pet moved closer to her and whispered in her ear. As the whisperings continued, Yu-Baba's expression turned from light to grim and finally to anger. "WHAT?" she screamed. "Someone is going in and out of the Spirit World using _my_ magic behind my knowledge?"

Her pet nodded savagely, grinning from ear to ear. Yu-Baba's eyes flared dangerously. "Who? Who _dared_?" she exclaimed.

Her eyes drifted towards the place where the fake Haku fell and disappeared. Her expression turned sinister and she smiled smugly. "Hmmm…" she said. "I think I have an idea who…and _why_."

Chihiro sighed as her mother arranged her costume. She looked at herself in the mirror. She was going as a witch in the costume party, minus the gruesome make-up. Her mother bought her the costume. It fitted her perfectly, also the matching black boots. Her mother smiled as she finished tying the black ribbon around Chihiro's waist.

"There. You're all done. Oh, your hair! What should we do with it?" her mother asked.

Chihiro shook her head. "It's okay. I'll just tie it up with this," she said, picking up a purple hair band.

"Hmmm…you've had that hair band for years now. Funny, it still has a lot of glitter."

Chihiro's eyes widened. "Oh!" she exclaimed. She couldn't possibly tell her mother that she got it from Zeniba, who happened to be a witch in the Spirit World! "I don't know why it's like that! It really _is_ odd, isn't it?" She let out what she wished was a convincing laugh.

Her mother's eyes narrowed but after a moment, she smiled and gave Chihiro a kiss on the cheek. "Have fun. Your dad's all ready to take you there," she said.

"Okay," Chihiro said.

Inside, she was sighing with relief.

The party was already in full swing when Chihiro arrived. She cowered in a corner and tried to avoid the crowd. She was suddenly struck with shyness. She sat on one of the chairs beside a window of the dance hall. She sighed. Her heart was racing. She couldn't wait to see Haku…but there was something inside her that was too shy to face him.

"Wow, Chihiro! You look fantastic!" a voice cried out in front of her.

Chihiro looked up and saw two of her classmates, Emiko and Jiro. She smiled. "Thank you, Emiko. You have a nice costume. Who are you supposed to be?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm Juliet," Emiko answered. "And this is Romeo."

"How sweet!" Chihiro exclaimed.

"She made me do it," Jiro joked.

"_Jiro_!" Emiko said, threateningly holding up a fist in front of Jiro.

"I was just kidding!" Jiro explained.

"Oh, really?" Emiko grabbed his collar and dragged him away.

Chihiro giggled as she watched Emiko and Jiro walk away. Then, she frowned. The music slowed down and she hung her head. Where was Haku? She wondered what his costume was. Her heart was thumping wildly again. She didn't know why.

_Hey_.

Chihiro gasped in surprise and she quickly looked up. There was Haku, holding out his hand to her. "Haku," she said.

"I'm Yoshikawa, remember?" Haku laughed.

Chihiro blushed lightly. "Oh yeah, I forgot. Sorry," she muttered. She surveyed him. He was wearing his own clothes, the one he wore back in the Spirit World. She smiled. Well, it _was _a costume party. It fitted perfectly in the crowd.

"What's wrong?" she heard Haku ask.

"Huh?" she started. "N-nothing. It's just that—well—your costume."

Haku looked down at his clothes and laughed again. "Honestly, I didn't have anything else to wear," he said.

Chihiro laughed along. "It fits here, though. Unlike back in the mansion, when you showed yourself, people thought you were a ghost," she said.

"That was deliberate. I was trying to scare away the people so they wouldn't come in," Haku protested. "Anyway, we're wasting the good music. Let's dance."

Chihiro's heart raced again as she took Haku's hand. He led her towards the dance floor. They found a spot and they faced each other. At first, it was awkward on Chihiro's side. She kept blushing intensely whenever she tried to put her arms around Haku's neck. But afterwards, they were dancing smoothly along with the music.

Chihiro sighed as she laid her head on Haku's shoulder. It was a wonderful feeling. She felt dizzy, as if the world was turning too fast, but it gave her heart a queer beat and she wished it wouldn't stop. _Not now, not ever_.

_What?_

Chihiro looked into Haku's eyes. Then, she dropped back down on his shoulder.

_Nothing._

"Everybody's still dancing. I can't believe how much energy they have. I'm tired!" Chihiro said as she and Haku sat down by one of the tables.

"Do you want a drink?" Haku asked.

"Yes, please," Chihiro replied.

Haku got up and walked across the dance floor towards the refreshment table.

Chihiro watched as the crowd on the dance floor thickened. She caught glimpses of her friends, Momoka, Sakura and Nikken, dancing with their dates. Her eyes darted around the crowd and then, her heart stopped.

She stood up in surprise. There, walking towards the stage was…

YU-BABA!

She blinked several times, trying to see if it was reality or a dream. But Yu-Baba remained no matter how many times she blinked. But what was she doing there? And why were the students not bothered by her presence?

_But, of course!_ Chihiro thought. It was a costume party. Nobody would notice that was her real appearance. _Oh no! Yu-Baba? Here?_

Chihiro began to run towards the dance floor. _I'd better warn Haku!_

She tried desperately to reach Haku but the dancing crowd was too thick she only made it to the very center of the dance floor, where she was trapped. There was only one way she could reach Haku in that case. She grabbed her dragon charm and closed her eyes tightly.

_Haku!_

But it was too late. Yu-Baba was already on the stage. Chihiro watched, mesmerized, as Yu-Baba spread out her right hand before her. "Sleep," she said. "Sleep."

One by one, the students all fell on the floor.

Haku froze as he held the two cups in each hand. He heard Chihiro scream his name inside his head. _Oh no,_ he thought. _Something must've happened_.

He left the two cups on the table and was about to run towards the crowd when he heard a familiar voice…a _very_ familiar voice.

"Sleep," it said.

_Yu-Baba!_ Haku thought. He used his magic to shield himself from the spell. Then, in vain, he began to search for Chihiro. He stopped in mid-run. All the students have fallen, except for one.

"Chihiro!" Haku shouted in disbelief.

There, amidst the sleeping crowd, Chihiro stood, trembling from head to foot. Haku called to her again. Their eyes made contact and Haku realized she was just as clueless about it as he was. Well, they were not the only ones.

"What? Why didn't my spell work on you?" Yu-Baba exclaimed in disbelief. "Never mind. I'll get you anyway."

"Not today, Yu-Baba," a voice cried as a white flash darted across Chihiro, shielding her from Yu-Baba's view. When the white flash disappeared, so did Chihiro. Yu-Baba let out a scream of frustration.

"Haku, what do we do now?" Chihiro asked as they soared through the air. Haku had transformed into a dragon.

_I don't know. We can't escape her here. _Haku used the necklace to communicate with Chihiro.

Chihiro tightened her grip around Haku's neck. "What do we do now?" she repeated, sobbing.

_Hey, don't cry. I'll find a way, I promise._

"Can we escape her if we go to the Spirit World?"

_I don't think so. She has a lot of power there. We'll just make it easier for her to catch us._

"Well, there _must_ be a way to escape her!" Chihiro cried, turning frantic.

_Relax. I won't let anything happen to you._

"I know, but—what about you? I don't want you to do anything stupid and risk your life."

_If it comes to that, I swear I will_.

"No!" Chihiro insisted. "There _must_ be another way. Do you know anyone who can help us?"

_No, I don't._

Chihiro's eyes brimmed over with tears.

They were trapped.


	3. Part three

**You have always been there, I just didn't know (part3)**

Chihiro stirred awake from sleep, but she didn't open her eyes just yet. She had a dream…no, it was more like a nightmare. Yu-Baba was there, and she was chasing her and Haku. But she didn't know what happened next because she woke up.

_Thank goodness it was just a dream,_ she thought. She smiled and let the gust of wind blowing on her face calm her. If it had been true, she wouldn't have known what to do. It was too frightening. But she was scared more for Haku than for herself. He was likely to do reckless things just to protect her…and she didn't want that.

Suddenly, her heart stopped as a certain realization began to sink in. How come the wind was blowing on her face? Her whole body? She never sleeps with the window open and she never sleeps without a blanket. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

Fear washed over her as her eyes proved that she wasn't dreaming. It was true!

_Wait_, she thought to herself. _Maybe I'm still _in _the dream! Yeah…maybe I am!_

_So, you're awake!_

Chihiro's eyes widened. Haku was talking inside her head. Does that mean—?

_Hey, what's wrong? Are you all right?_

"I—it's—real?" she whispered, as she brushed a hand on Haku's back to check.

_Hey, that tickles!_

Chihiro drew back her hand. She was riding on Haku, who had transformed into a dragon!

In a flash, everything went back to her. The school dance…Yu-Baba…the sleep spell that didn't work on her…and Haku, who had managed to get her out of harm's way. All of them had really happened! Which meant…

They were still in danger. Yu-Baba was still after them!

Chihiro buried her face on Haku's back, trying to fight back the tears that were dying to flow out of her eyes, but to no avail. How do they escape? They can't stay in the air forever! It's impossible that there's no way!

_Are you ok? Please answer me. I'm really getting worried._

_I'm ok…_ Chihiro replied, using the Dragon charm to speak to Haku. She feared if she answered using her voice, Haku might notice that she was crying.

_Good. Do you want to rest a little?_

_I should be the one asking you that. I'm sorry. You've been flying all the time I was asleep. It wasn't fair of me._

_I should be the one asking for your forgiveness. I put a spell on you to make you fall asleep. You were tiring yourself out just crying._

_You shouldn't have done that._

Chihiro tightened her hold on Haku as more tears raced down her cheeks.

_Don't cry! Look, I'm going down, I can't stand this anymore_.

Chihiro frantically wiped her eyes and cheeks as Haku landed under the shelter of some forest trees. He gently dropped Chihiro on the ground and then transformed back into human form. He was wearing a deep frown and he walked towards Chihiro.

"I'm sorry," Chihiro repeated. "But I just can't seem to stop." She buried her face into her hands and cried bitterly.

Slowly, she felt Haku's arms wrapping around her with a different kind of gentleness. Surprised at the sudden caress, she stopped crying, her heart pounding, as if it was trying to tell her something.

Haku pressed her head against his chest and held her tight. "Stop crying," he whispered tenderly. "It's hurting me so much just seeing you like this. Now, I promised I would find a way, and I will. But I need you by my side. I need you to be brave, Chihiro, like that time when you were stuck in the Spirit World under Yu-Baba's power. I need you right now…so please stop crying. Please…"

Chihiro was touched. This was the first time Haku was this tender towards her. Sure, he had shown sweet affection ever since that day he had revealed himself but never like this. She felt she was seeing a whole new side of him…the weaker side. He was breaking down…

"No!" Chihiro cried, hugging Haku tight. "I don't want to see you cry! Don't cry! I _will_ be brave! I'll stay by your side and I'll never break down again!"

Haku gave a small smile and rested his head on Chihiro's. He sighed, feeling as if he had gotten the most precious gift he could ever wish for. He ran a hand through her hair but he stopped when his hand felt something that presented a magical aura. He opened his eyes and looked. His hand was resting on Chihiro's hair band.

_It's just a hair band…why?_

Then, it hit him.

"Chihiro!" he exclaimed.

Chihiro lifted her head up at him. "What?" she asked.

"Where did you get this hair band?"

"What? Oh! This one?" Chihiro took it off and held it up to Haku. "I got it from Zeniba. She said it would protect me from any danger that would—" Chihiro's eyes widened. "So _that's_ why Yu-Baba's sleep spell didn't work on me! Zeniba's magic was protecting me all along!" she exclaimed.

Haku's face showed a trace of hope. "I've changed my mind," he said. Then, he transformed again into a dragon. He turned to Chihiro, the dragon charm glowing bright blue against his furry chest.

_Hop on. We're going to the Spirit World!_

"Fools!" Yu-Baba cried out in frustration. "So they think they can run away from me, eh? We'll just see!"

She angrily waved her hand in the air and smoke erupted from it. The smoke formed a ring in front of her. Yu-Baba gave a sinister smile. "Show me where they are!" she cried out to the ring of smoke. Instantly, an image appeared in the empty space surrounded by the ring. It was of a girl riding on the back of a white dragon.

Yu-Baba's smile widened as she observed where they were. "What's this?" she exclaimed in amusement. "You're in the Spirit World? Oh, Haku, you're making things too easy for me!"

She snapped her fingers and slowly, the people in the dance hall began to wake up. "The Spirit World then," she said to herself and in a wink, she was gone.

_Hang on, we're almost there_, Haku told Chihiro.

"Are you sure she'll be able to help us? That she'll agree?" Chihiro asked.

_She helped you once. I'm sure she won't hesitate to help you again. Besides, she wanted to protect you by giving you that magical hair band. Well, here's another chance to do it. Don't worry so much._

Chihiro sighed as she looked down at the familiar railroad track she had traveled once before to visit Zeniba. She smiled weakly. Haku was right, Zeniba would be able to help them, if no one else can. Her powers were strong enough to repel Yu-Baba's and it seemed she was their only hope.

_We're here_.

Chihiro looked and indeed, they have arrived. She saw the familiar lamppost hanging on the arc that was adorning the entrance to Zeniba's front yard. It was waving at them and before they could even land, they saw light flooding out from Zeniba's open doorway and a shadow was marked on it. It was Zeniba, waiting to welcome them.

"Well, well, it _has _been a long time hasn't it, my dear?" she greeted, walking towards them with open arms. She gave Chihiro a warm embrace. "Why, you've grown already! You've become so beautiful," she said.

Chihiro closed her eyes and fell into the warmth of Zeniba's hug. When Zeniba let go of her, she faced her with a small smile. But instead of smiling back, Zeniba frowned. "Is something wrong? Your eyes are full of fright," she said.

"We're being chased," a voice answered from behind Chihiro. Both of them turned and saw Haku, who had transformed back into human form. He walked towards Zeniba and gave a low bow. When he had straightened, his face turned serious. "We need your help," he said.

Zeniba's expression turned to worry. "It depends," she said. "Who is chasing you and why?"

"Yu-Baba," Chihiro answered. "But we don't know why."

Zeniba turned her back on them. "I'm afraid I can't help you," she said.

Haku and Chihiro both exchanged looks of mingled fear and disappointment. Chihiro stepped forward. "But—you're our only hope!" she cried. "There's nobody else—nobody else who can rival Yu-Baba's magic!"

"She's right! There's no hope for us anymore if you don't help us."

Zeniba's head bent. "I _want_ to help you…I do," she started. "But there is a reason why I can't help you with this one. I would've…if only it were someone else. But it's Yu-Baba and I can't help you there."

"Why not?"

Zeniba turned to them. "You may well remember that Yu-Baba and I are twin sisters," she said. "Our magic powers are equal, which means we can rival one another. As we grew, our parents noticed that Yu-Baba and I are very different after all. Yu-Baba was always seeking to become stronger than I am but no matter what she does, we remain equal. You see, Yu-Baba is very self-centered and she didn't like the idea of being equal with anyone. She wanted to be the best, the greatest. But she couldn't do that as long as I'm still alive.

"Our parents saw the upcoming threat on my life. They looked into our future and I wasn't there. So, to keep me safe and alive, they did the only thing that could be done. They put a spell on both of us…well, more like a curse, for Yu-Baba at least. They tied our lives together so that we can never resort to any fights…magical duels, in our case, which could end up with one's death, because if one of us dies in the other's hands, the other would die, too. But there's an exception. If, for example, I die because of natural causes or some accident, Yu-Baba won't die. But if I die because of something Yu-Baba plotted, even if she didn't do it herself, she would still die. So, you see, I can't help. I can't duel with her."

Haku and Chihiro both fell silent. They lost hope. They couldn't ask Zeniba to risk her own life for them. Besides, it was _their_ battle not hers, after all. Haku glanced at Chihiro and saw that she was again close to tears though it was obvious she was fighting hard against it. He turned away. He just could stand seeing Chihiro like that. _There _must_ be another way_, he thought. _But if they duel, both of them would die! But Zeniba's our only hope! If they don't duel, Chihiro and I are dead. But of course, Yu-Baba would never—_

Haku lifted his head in a sudden realization. That was it! Yu-Baba would _never_ dream of dueling with Zeniba, so if she protects them, they'd be safe! Well, at least until they find a better solution.

"I've got it!" he cried. Both Chihiro and Zeniba looked at him with surprised, expectant faces. "I've got it!" Haku repeated. "You can still protect us because Yu-Baba would _never_ duel with you. If you protect us, she won't be able to do anything because she'll have to go through you before she gets to us. During that time, I'm sure we'll be able to think of a better way to escape her. We just need your shelter for now."

Chihiro smiled, hope filling her up again at his words.

Zeniba sighed and nodded. "I guess I can do that. Yu-Baba would never attack me, anyway," she said.

Chihiro jumped with joy and pounced on Haku, giving him a big, big hug. They were safe! It was only for a while, but at least they were safe!

"Aha! So _this _is where you are!" a voice shouted behind them.

They all turned in shock. It was Yu-Baba!

Zeniba shielded Haku and Chihiro while Haku held Chihiro close.

Yu-Baba's eyes blazed. "Zeniba!" she cried out. "You're not a part of this! Get out of my way!"

But Zeniba stood firm. "No!" she cried back. "You'll have to go through me!"

Yu-Baba stepped back, an unexpected fear filling her heart. "W-What?" she blurted. But then, she regained her composure and snickered. "You're pretty brave, knowing I won't fight you because it would be risking _my_ life as well," she said. "Step aside now, Zeniba. This young man has a price to pay!" Yu-Baba gestured towards Haku, who was glaring at her as his grip on Chihiro tightened.

Zeniba moved back closer to Haku and Chihiro, giving Yu-Baba a defiant gaze. "What did he ever to you?" she asked.

Yu-Baba growled in frustration. Zeniba was prolonging the conversation and it drove her nuts. She wanted to get her hands on Haku and Chihiro without further delay. "He's been sneaking off to the real word using _my_ magic, _my_ portals!" she screamed.

"I created those portals!" Haku protested.

"But you got the information from my private files! That's unforgivable! No one's allowed to open my drawers except me!"

"STOP IT!" Zeniba screamed and Yu-Baba and Haku stopped. "Maybe we can settle this in a more quiet manner," Zeniba continued, not really knowing what she was saying. She knew Yu-Baba would never agree to something like that. But she was quickly running out of ideas. To her surprise though, Yu-Baba calmed down.

"You're right, Zeniba," she said. "We can settle this, quietly."

Zeniba caught a glint of mischief in her twin sister's eyes and she began to feel that something unknown to her was brewing. Fear settled in her heart. Yu-Baba obviously had a plan.

"I guess I _have_ been too reckless," Yu-Baba said. "Why don't we let our powers settle it for us?"

"We can't duel! Are you really going to risk your own life for a few illegal portals?" Zeniba cried in disbelief.

Yu-Baba laughed. "Oh, no, no, no! Not something like that. Don't be ridiculous, my dear sister," she replied. "We'll just play a little game. But first, we must bind ourselves so that there'll be no backing out."

Zeniba stepped back again. She was getting nervous. She didn't know what her sister was planning.

Yu-Baba gave her a sweet smile, which increased Zeniba's suspicions. "I promise that I'll never bother them again…if you win," she said. "What's this? You don't want to? I'm trying to settle this as harmlessly as possible!"

Zeniba looked at Haku and Chihiro with a worried expression. She wasn't sure what her sister's plans were but it was better than dueling and getting killed, or giving up Haku and Chihiro to her. She faced her again.

"All right," she said. "I'll do it."

"Good!" Yu-Baba exclaimed. "Now, to set aside other suspicions, I will let you put the binding spell on me first."

Zeniba hesitated. If only she could figure out what her sister's plan was. But Yu-Baba was blocking her mind out from entering hers. She took a deep breath and pointed her forefinger at Yu-Baba. "I bind you to a promise. May the spell keep you bound to it until it is finished," she said.

A light shot out from her forefinger and hit Yu-Baba for a few seconds. When the light disappeared, Yu-Baba held up her hand towards Zeniba. "I bind you to a promise. May the spell keep you bound to it until it is finished," she repeated. But it took a while before light had shot out from her forefinger. Zeniba became suspicious after the spell hit her.

"All done," Yu-Baba said. "Now, what game shall we play? Well, the first one to release red sparks will be the one to choose. Ready, dear sister?"

Zeniba nodded. Yu-Baba's smile increased. "One," she started. "Two…three!"

At once, red sparks erupted from Yu-Baba's hand. Zeniba's eyes widened. She couldn't move! Her brows joined in anger. "You cheated! You cast a body-binding spell on me along with it!" she cried.

"All is fair when you're using magic," Yu-Baba returned. "See, the spell is releasing you now. Hmm…now, what game shall we play?"

Zeniba clenched her fists as the body-binding spell released her. But she was still bound to the other spell.

"That's not fair, she cheated," Haku said behind her.

"It's no use playing a fair game with Yu-Baba. She always cheats."

"But still—!"

"Don't worry. I'll do my best on whatever game she picks."

"I've got it!" they heard Yu-Baba cry out. Zeniba turned to her and her eyes widened as she caught her sister's eye. There was certainly mischief. Someone was in terrible danger. But it couldn't be her, so it had to be Haku or Chihiro. _This is bad,_ she thought.

"Why don't we play…" Yu-Baba started. "Soul-fishing?"

Haku felt as though an arrow hit his heart. _Soul-fishing?_ They were in deep trouble. Yu-Baba seemed to have everything planned out and they didn't have anything. _Oh no…_he thought.

"What is it?" Chihiro whispered. "What's soul-fishing?"

Haku held her closer. "It's a Witch's game," he explained. "They set a large cauldron in the middle filled with human souls and they get a person to be their 'fish', as they fondly call it. But this person has to be someone they're fighting over with, like a lover or a servant or a prisoner. The players, the witches, will suck out the person's soul and mix it in with the other souls in the cauldron. Then, one-by-one, they will place a soul in the empty body. If it is not the right one, the soul simply disappears. If it is, the person will live again and the witch who had placed it will own the person. It's a game they invented to settle fights between witches over a certain person. But it's dangerous. If it exceeds an hour, the 'fish' will die."

Chihiro clutched harder on Haku. It was frightening beyond anything. And they call it a _game_?

"So," Yu-Baba's voice came floating through her ears. Chihiro looked up. There was already a huge cauldron between Yu-Baba and Zeniba, filled with some sort of white stuff that was incessantly moving. A chill went through Chihiro's spine. Those were human souls!

"Now that we have our game, it's time for me to pick our 'fish'," Yu-Baba continued.

Haku suddenly let go of Chihiro and walked to the side of Zeniba. Chihiro froze as she realized why. He was going to volunteer to be the 'fish'!

"No!" she cried. "Haku!"

"It's the only way to keep you safe," Haku told her with a soft smile. Chihiro's eyes brimmed with tears again but Haku held up his hand. "Chihiro, you promised me."

Chihiro tried hard to hold back the tears. She bent her head and nodded weakly. But inside, she was screaming, protesting against it, although she knew it was of no use.

"I'll be your 'fish', Yu-Baba," she heard Haku say and her legs buckled, as if they were no longer fit to support her. She dropped on her knees and sobbed, burying her face on her hands when she heard Yu-Baba's laughter. _She's so cruel, she's so cruel!_

"You're forgetting one thing about the 'fish', Haku," Yu-Baba said, snorting with laughter.

Haku clenched his fists and glared at her. "What?" he asked.

Yu-Baba stopped laughing and smiled sinisterly. She glanced at Zeniba, who was frowning deeply. Yu-Baba's smile widened. Zeniba knew who their 'fish' had to be.

"Ah, Haku, the 'fish'," she said. "Has to be a non-magical person."

Haku's eyes widened. He felt as if the arrow that had hit him earlier had dug deeper into his heart. He had forgotten about it. He felt faint. _No…_he thought, looking behind him.

_Chihiro…_


	4. Final Part

**You have always been there, I just didn't know (final part)**

_No_… 

_Not her…_

_Anything but her_… 

Haku's head dropped, his eyes wide with fear. It seemed as if darkness had settled over him. He was suddenly deaf to the sounds surrounding him and his eyes blurred. He didn't know what to do. He was feeling so many things. He wanted to get into a rage, transform and charge at Yu-Baba with all he had, but he knew he mustn't, because that was foolish. This wasn't his game, yet he was so involved to it, because it was about to swallow the most important person in his life.

"AAAAAHHHH!"

A scream brought him back to his senses. He lifted his head and saw what he had most feared to see. Yu-Baba had taken control of Chihiro and was lifting her in the center. Chihiro's tear-stained face was pale. She looked back and reached out to Haku. "Haku!" she called out.

Haku clenched his fists, staring at Chihiro and refusing to believe that everything was real. She was in danger and calling out to him…but he couldn't do _anything_!

"Stop it…" he whispered, weakly. His voice sounded harsh and far away. Somewhere inside of him, he felt something brewing, like an animal struggling to be released. Chihiro stopped screaming and then he knew what it was: anguish…a torture too much to bear.

"Stop it…" he repeated, getting weaker by the minute.

"Well, now that we've got our 'fish'…" Haku heard Yu-Baba say. "Let's begin. Shall we, Zeniba?"

"Yes…" Haku glanced at Zeniba. She was frowning deeply.

"Take this, then. I don't want any of your powers protecting her."

Something fell near Haku's foot. He bent down to pick it up. It was Chihiro's hair band. He looked up at her again and his heart was pierced even more. She wasn't screaming anymore, nor was she crying. She was just looking silently at him, with a strange sadness in her eyes that he couldn't bear to see. Her hands were limp at her side. She wasn't reaching out to him anymore. Haku felt like he had betrayed her when she had needed him most.

"Let's begin!" Yu-Baba cried out and she held up her hand towards Chihiro.

Haku watched as slowly, the light in Chihiro's eyes began to fade and her eyelids began to droop. Her skin was fast becoming clammy and paler. Her hair, flowing freely behind her, dropped back, limp like her hands. Her soul was being sucked out.

Haku took a step forward, unable to control himself. "Stop it…"

For some reason, that was all he could say, all he could think about.

Chihiro slowly faded out of life as Haku watched helplessly. But then, before he was even aware of it, the dragon charm inside her shirt began to glow. He saw her give one last effort to open her eyes and she gave him a small smile.

_I love you…_

The words flowed through Haku's mind, more meaningful than ever. Then, Chihiro's eyes closed and her head slumped onto her shoulder. She was gone.

Haku stepped back, stricken. He couldn't believe it! It couldn't be real! There she was, in front of him, so pale and lifeless. She was the most important person in his life! And she was gone!

Unable to hold out much longer, Haku's body crouched in his anguish, his forehead resting on his upheld fists. He felt something coming up his body and a hot stinging behind his eyes. _She's gone…she's gone…she's…_

Haku's fists tightened as tears chased each other down his cheeks.

"CHIHIRO!"

Zeniba closed her eyes as Haku screamed out Chihiro's name and fell on his knees, broken. Her brows knitted together and she faced Yu-Baba. _I won't fail_, she promised herself. _Hold on, Chihiro_.

"Enough with the drama," Yu-Baba said, smiling at Haku's broken form. "Let's start then."

A large sand glass magically appeared behind the cauldron.

"One hour," Yu-Baba said. "I'll let you go first, dear sister."

Zeniba nodded with a determined face. She held up her hand towards the cauldron and looked into it. It was confusing. The souls all looked alike. She wasn't sure which one was Chihiro's. But she has to pick one…and quick. Time was precious. Each second draws nearer to Chihiro's death. She must find the right one. She spied a soul in the corner and raised it up. She placed it inside Chihiro's body, hoping. But her hopes quickly faded. As soon as she let go of the spirit, it dissolved into white mist and disappeared. She got the wrong one.

"My turn," Yu-Baba said.

Luckily, the soul she picked was also wrong. Some of Zeniba's hope returned. _Right,_ she thought. _I won't give up…no matter what._

Haku kept his eyes to the ground. He couldn't bear to look. _I shouldn't have brought her here_, he thought. But then, if he hadn't, they would've been in greater trouble. The two of them would've been dead by now. He shook his head violently and drove his fist on the earth. _But that would've been better than this! I can't watch her die!_

He covered his face with his hand, close to tears again. _All of this…it's my fault…if I had just used the old path, Yu-Baba wouldn't have known and Chihiro would've been asleep in her bed by now, safe and sound. All of this is my fault…_

His eyes squeezed shut as he tried to prevent the tears, to no avail. _Chihiro…_ he thought, longing to see her smiling face again.

_Chihiro…forgive me…Chihiro…_

He thought about her, laughing, smiling, so happy with everything…with him. And then he goes and fails her, leaving her at the mercy of two witches, one seeking for her to die, the other, for her to live. And he, the one who had promised to protect her, to stick by her…what was he doing? Nothing!

_Chihiro…_

Just then, he felt some warmth in his chest. He grabbed at it and out came his Dragon Charm necklace. It was glowing. His brows joined in confusion. How could it glow, when Chihiro was—

_Wait a minute. If it's glowing, that means…_

Haku was suddenly alive with energy. He stood up and searched about the place. He remembered that Chihiro was wearing her necklace when her soul was sucked-out and she had used it at the last minute. _That means that some of the charm's powers had gone with her soul and that's what my charm is detecting!_

He stopped and looked at the two witches still 'fishing' for Chihiro's soul. Haku narrowed his eyes and spied the cauldron. Chihiro's soul should be marked with a blue glow. He searched the floating mass of souls, but he was having a hard time in finding it. _Where is it? Where?_

Then, he realized something. If Chihiro's soul had a blue glow, it would've been easy to find, because it would stand out. He looked at Yu-Baba with suspicion in his eyes. There's something strange about all this…

His eyes widened as he saw something that confirmed his guess. He rubbed his eyes to see if what he was seeing was true. He looked again, harder this time and then he knew it.

A blue glow was faintly showing itself under Yu-Baba's cloak. Haku's fists clenched again, this time in anger. How could she? The cheater!

"STOP!" he shouted and both witches looked at him in surprise.

"Haku, don't interfere now. I must hurry if I want to save Chihiro," Zeniba protested.

Haku walked in front of Zeniba, his back to her. He pointed a finger towards Yu-Baba. "You cheater!" he shouted.

Yu-Baba pasted an innocent look on her face. "What did _I_ do?" she asked.

"Chihiro's soul is not in this cauldron! _You_ have it!"

"What?" Zeniba exclaimed in disbelief. "Yu-Baba, is this true?"

Yu-Baba stepped back, shocked. "Wha—h-how did you know?" she cried out.

"Quick, Zeniba, it's there, where the blue glow is!" Haku said.

Zeniba quickly took action and before Yu-Baba could react, Zeniba took out the object behind her cloak.

It was a glass phial with a white stuff inside emitting a blue glow. Zeniba took it in her hands and smiled at its wonder. "What is it?" she asked. "That blue glow?"

Haku showed her his dragon charm, which was still glowing. "I gave one just like this to her," he said. "It's a bond between us."

Zeniba gave Haku a tender pat on the shoulder. "You know," she said. "When a person's soul is sucked-out, the soul forgets every memory that person had. But, see here, even in death, she remembers you."

Zeniba opened the phial and freed Chihiro's soul. She held it up and placed it on Chihiro's body.

At once, a color came to the pale face and the chest slowly rose, as the first breath of new life entered Chihiro's body. Haku ran to her as she opened her eyes.

Chihiro smiled as she caught sight of him. "Haku," she whispered. "I knew you'd find me…I knew you'd bring me back…"

A sudden rush of emotion engulfed Haku's heart and he hugged Chihiro tight, glad that she was with him again. Chihiro savored the warm embrace of Haku. "You know," she whispered. "I felt so lost there. But the thought of seeing your face again and feeling your warm embrace helped me hold on. And then I realized…you're the most important person in my life."

Zeniba watched the tender moment calmly, but then, she sensed a different aura. She looked towards its direction but she was too late. Yu-Baba had place a body-binding spell on her again.

"Watch out!" Zeniba shouted. "She's going to attack!"

It happened all too fast. Haku quickly shielded Chihiro as Yu-Baba charged at them, fire erupting from her mouth and her hair loose all around her.

Haku transformed into a dragon and soared to meet her.

Chihiro figured out what he was going to do and she sat up, dread coursing through her whole body.

Haku and Yu-Baba met.

"NOOOOO!" she screamed before everything went black.

In Chihiro's dark, quiet bedroom, a light suddenly appeared above the bed. Slowly, it subsided and left a figure lying on it.

Chihiro.

She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, her face gaunt and serious. Scenes started to play in her mind, like a movie, with only one difference: they were all real.

Yu-Baba had been injured badly and she flew away to heal herself. She left Haku lying limp on the ground. He couldn't transform into human form. His powers were too drained. Chihiro had knelt beside him for hours, sometimes crying, sometimes calling out his name to keep him conscious while Zeniba tried her best to cure him. But a change had come over his features and his eyes had closed. He wouldn't wake up though they tried.

"He's not dead," Chihiro had insisted, while Zeniba frowned.

"You'd better go home, Chihiro. I'll take you there," Zeniba had offered. But Chihiro was stubborn. She wouldn't go home.

At the last argument, Zeniba had put her under a spell and sent her away.

Now, she was lying on her bed, alone and scared. Tears ran down her cheeks but she hardly noticed them. She had cried so many times already that the tears seemed normal. But what hurt her was a dull pain in her heart that wouldn't go away.

Finally, she buried her face in her pillow.

"Haku…"

"The dance was a bit weird, though. I woke up and found everybody was asleep, too. It was like a huge slumber party."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. But, even so, it was a great night."

"Absolutely! Don't you agree, Chihiro? Chihiro?"

Chihiro looked up. She was walking to school with her friends but her mind wasn't on what they were talking about. She tried to smile. "Yeah, I do," she answered.

Sakura frowned at her. "Is something wrong? You're so quiet today," she said.

"No, really, I'm fine. I was just—" Chihiro's voice trailed off. She was thinking of Haku.

Momoka leaned closer. "You were just—what?" she asked.

Chihiro snapped back to reality. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry if I'm acting weird. I had a fever last night." She didn't want to lie to her friends, but then, she didn't want to tell the truth, either. Her friends bought the excuse, anyway.

"That's too bad. But, why are you still going to school? Shouldn't you be resting?" Nikken asked with a worried expression.

"No. I'm okay now…really. Besides, I didn't want to miss school," Chihiro answered.

"Okay. But, if you feel dizzy later, don't hesitate to go home. Please?"

Chihiro nodded and her friends were satisfied. They started talking again and didn't bother Chihiro anymore even though she was quiet.

During lunch-time, Chihiro sat with her friends in their usual place near the game court, where a game of soccer was taking place. They were all sharing their lunch, but she wasn't eating. She sighed, looking at the players with a frown. She was used to seeing Haku playing there. But now, he wasn't.

"Yoshikawa didn't come to school today, huh?" Momoka asked.

Chihiro turned quickly with a smile, lest her friends see her frowning again. "Yes," she replied. "He had something to take care of at home with his grandparents."

Of course, it wasn't the truth. Yoshikawa was absent because Haku was still in the Spirit World with Zeniba. Of course, she was curing him. She has to be! Haku's not dead!

Chihiro's head dropped. She wasn't so sure. He wouldn't answer to her calls last night, though she was already screaming. It was fast becoming unbearable. She suddenly stood up, made an excuse that she was going to the comfort room and ran away before her friends see the tears in her eyes.

She stopped in front of the fountain that was out of sight behind a building. There, she had her cry. But she didn't feel good about it. She couldn't go to class looking like trash, with her eyes swollen and red!

While she cried though, an amazing thing happened. Her Dragon Charm started to rise, glowing like mad. Chihiro stopped crying and opened her eyes. She stared at it, gladness taking her over. She stood up and the charm led her towards the fountain. She reached out her hand and before she could even touch the fountain, her hand disappeared. She wiped the remaining tears and then, she took a few more steps. In minute, she disappeared.

Chihiro opened her eyes and saw that she was standing on the spot where she and Haku last saw each other six years ago, when he had told her not to look back at him. Her heart started to thump wildly and she started to run.

She stopped when she saw that everything was empty. There was no food laden for the Gods. The wind rustled beneath her feet and papers went through her parted legs. Chihiro's eyes narrowed. It felt like déjà vu. She knew she'd been in the same situation before, she just couldn't remember when.

Setting aside her thoughts, she began to run again. She didn't know where to, she just let her feet lead her. She looked around as she ran. It really was weird…nobody was in sight. What was she going to find there?

She stopped again when she saw where her feet had taken her. She was at the bottom of the stairs leading to the bridge.

She took a deep breath as her heart pounded more excitedly. Then, she started to ascend. Halfway there, she suddenly realized why it had all seemed familiar.

This was her dream before! And in that dream…

In her excitement, Chihiro ran. When she reached the bridge, she saw finally, a living person.

He wasn't facing her. His back was turned, but she recognized that familiar back.

Chihiro's eyes welled up with tears in her gladness. "Haku," she called.

Slowly, he turned to her, a look of disbelief in his eyes.

They stared at each other for a while, each of them afraid to say anything for fear it was all a dream and they would suddenly wake up.

Then, as if they had been thinking the same thing, both of them took a step forward.

Chihiro then knew that it wasn't a dream. Her lips began to form a smile and ran to him, jumping into his arms in her joy. "I never thought I'd see you again! I thought I lost you!" she said, crying freely.

Haku savored the moment of having Chihiro in his arms. "The same goes for me," he said. "Chihiro…"

Haku put her down and looked her in the eye. "I'm sorry for everything," he said. "You don't know how happy I am right now, being with you."

Chihiro moved closer and rested her head on his chest. "Yes, I do," she whispered. "Because that's also how I feel."

Haku closed his eyes, holding Chihiro gently.

Chihiro looked up at him. "We're always going to be together from now on, right?" she asked.

Haku nodded and leaned down to her, sealing the promise with a kiss.


End file.
